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deeisabibliophile_'s review against another edition
1.0
I should have listened to Martin Edwards when he explained why exactly Mary Kelly wasn’t celebrated unlike other crime writers.
Was too excited to pick up this book because I wanted to feel the vibes of the festive season, but I don’t know what did the author intend to describe. Maybe I couldn’t comprehend her writing style, but there’s no warning at all. I felt a lack of coherence throughout the narrative. The character was uttering something and then BOOOM! an epiphany strikes and you are entering another scene.
I loved the puns at a few places plus the element of humour was the only entity saving the plot. An over-excited Beddoes, a tired old detective Brett and a dream girl Stephanie; all three characters are shaped well. At some places, it seems that the inspiration for the book was from Marlowe’s classic “The Jew of Malta”, at least the character of Majendie reflects Barabas through his attitude. The story didn’t have any plot at all. Those who are giving it 4 stars, I would definitely love to interact with them to know what made them love this work. Maybe if I would have read the first two works in this series, things would have been better, but now I don’t find the courage to digest another work of Kelly. I think even Kelly knew that lack of life in her work and that’s why she eventually stopped writing.
I believe that Kelly knew to play with words. She just lacked the skill of building a unified narrative which formulates the backbone of any literary work.
Was too excited to pick up this book because I wanted to feel the vibes of the festive season, but I don’t know what did the author intend to describe. Maybe I couldn’t comprehend her writing style, but there’s no warning at all. I felt a lack of coherence throughout the narrative. The character was uttering something and then BOOOM! an epiphany strikes and you are entering another scene.
I loved the puns at a few places plus the element of humour was the only entity saving the plot. An over-excited Beddoes, a tired old detective Brett and a dream girl Stephanie; all three characters are shaped well. At some places, it seems that the inspiration for the book was from Marlowe’s classic “The Jew of Malta”, at least the character of Majendie reflects Barabas through his attitude. The story didn’t have any plot at all. Those who are giving it 4 stars, I would definitely love to interact with them to know what made them love this work. Maybe if I would have read the first two works in this series, things would have been better, but now I don’t find the courage to digest another work of Kelly. I think even Kelly knew that lack of life in her work and that’s why she eventually stopped writing.
I believe that Kelly knew to play with words. She just lacked the skill of building a unified narrative which formulates the backbone of any literary work.
cecile's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
kmmi_booklover's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
travelsalongmybookshelf's review
I’m putting this one on pause, and returning to it, too much going on at the moment! I have enjoyed what I have read so far
mes91's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
2.5
I'm afraid I just didn't find this one very interesting and the characters were hard to remember who was who and unrelatable.
magicofthepages's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
fictionfan's review against another edition
5.0
’Twas three nights before Christmas...
Three days before Christmas, Inspector Nightingale is called to the scene of a suspicious death. An elderly woman has been found dead in her bed, and given her age it may have passed as natural but for the fact that she appears to have been robbed. Her trunk, which she always kept securely locked, is empty. Nightingale soon discovers she was a Russian Princess who had fled to Britain during the Revolution, bringing with her many fabulous jewels and valuable pieces of art. There has been a recent spate of burglaries and Nightingale suspects this is the latest, somehow gone wrong, leaving Princess Olga dead. But where is the Princess’s grandson? And why is there a note of the name and address of a local dealer in jewellery in her room? Nightingale and his sergeant, the rather cheeky and irreverent Beddoes, set out to investigate...
This isn’t a whodunit – although there is a mystery element around the grandson, the police are never in much doubt that the robbery ties in with the others, and the bulk of the story is about following Nightingale, and occasionally Beddoes, as they try to identify and catch the thieves. It’s very well written and both the settings – first the busy pre-Christmas streets and alleyways of Islington and later the blizzard-bound countryside of Kent – are used to great effect. Nightingale and Beddoes make a great team, obviously fond of each other and with a kind of rapport that comes from having worked together before. Each has full confidence in the other and they are more like equals than superior and subordinate, and there’s a lot of humour in their interactions.
The Princess’s backstory as a Russian émigrée adds another element to the story, and gives it the human interest aspect that can sometimes be missing in stories about thefts and police hunts. And the jeweller whose name is found in her room is a great character – a shrewd businessman with his own Russian background, is he the gossipy charmer he likes to portray, or is this a cover for shady goings-on? Nightingale’s constantly changing opinion about him and other people who might or might not be involved is a lot of fun and gives us a real feel for his character, as an honest man who wants to think the best of people but whose job means he has to consider the worst of them too.
The first half of the book sets up the story and introduces the characters, and then the second half becomes more of an action thriller as the hunt for the jewel thieves hots up. I found the whole thing a quick, interesting and enjoyable read that kept me turning the pages – I ended up reading it all in one day which is unusual for me. Apparently Kelly only wrote a few books and then stopped, which is a real pity since on the basis of this one she was clearly very talented. I hope the BL might reissue the two other Nightingale books sometime. And with its Christmassy timing and snowy settings, this one is a perfect read for the festive season. Highly recommended!
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Three days before Christmas, Inspector Nightingale is called to the scene of a suspicious death. An elderly woman has been found dead in her bed, and given her age it may have passed as natural but for the fact that she appears to have been robbed. Her trunk, which she always kept securely locked, is empty. Nightingale soon discovers she was a Russian Princess who had fled to Britain during the Revolution, bringing with her many fabulous jewels and valuable pieces of art. There has been a recent spate of burglaries and Nightingale suspects this is the latest, somehow gone wrong, leaving Princess Olga dead. But where is the Princess’s grandson? And why is there a note of the name and address of a local dealer in jewellery in her room? Nightingale and his sergeant, the rather cheeky and irreverent Beddoes, set out to investigate...
This isn’t a whodunit – although there is a mystery element around the grandson, the police are never in much doubt that the robbery ties in with the others, and the bulk of the story is about following Nightingale, and occasionally Beddoes, as they try to identify and catch the thieves. It’s very well written and both the settings – first the busy pre-Christmas streets and alleyways of Islington and later the blizzard-bound countryside of Kent – are used to great effect. Nightingale and Beddoes make a great team, obviously fond of each other and with a kind of rapport that comes from having worked together before. Each has full confidence in the other and they are more like equals than superior and subordinate, and there’s a lot of humour in their interactions.
The Princess’s backstory as a Russian émigrée adds another element to the story, and gives it the human interest aspect that can sometimes be missing in stories about thefts and police hunts. And the jeweller whose name is found in her room is a great character – a shrewd businessman with his own Russian background, is he the gossipy charmer he likes to portray, or is this a cover for shady goings-on? Nightingale’s constantly changing opinion about him and other people who might or might not be involved is a lot of fun and gives us a real feel for his character, as an honest man who wants to think the best of people but whose job means he has to consider the worst of them too.
The first half of the book sets up the story and introduces the characters, and then the second half becomes more of an action thriller as the hunt for the jewel thieves hots up. I found the whole thing a quick, interesting and enjoyable read that kept me turning the pages – I ended up reading it all in one day which is unusual for me. Apparently Kelly only wrote a few books and then stopped, which is a real pity since on the basis of this one she was clearly very talented. I hope the BL might reissue the two other Nightingale books sometime. And with its Christmassy timing and snowy settings, this one is a perfect read for the festive season. Highly recommended!
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
bgg616's review against another edition
4.0
This book published in 1958 has been my favorite from this series British Library Crime Classics. It features the Chief Inspector Brett Nightingale who lives and works in London. The book is prefaced by an introduction by Martin Edwards. This is essential reading as Edwards not only provides an account of the writer's career, but describes the art of her writing. I did find the writing to be xuperb. Kelly fleshes out her characters skillfully, and creates a rich atmosphere that moves from London to rural Kent.
The story revolves around Russian royalty, Princess Olga Karukhin, and her grandson, Ivan, now British citizens, who have lived in London since fleeing Russia for their lives decades before at the time of the Russian Revolution. They live in a single room, in a rundown part of London. The princess, who is advanced in years, is found dead by a neighbor. Her grandson, a chronic alcoholic, is missing. Nightingale investigates and discovers that Karukhin came from an incredibly wealthy family, and evidence that she had hidden jewels and other riches in her apartment. The most valuable item that she is believed to have had is "the Christmas Egg", a stunning Faberge creation.
This was a 4.5 star read for me. Nightingale is a clever and likeable detective. The writing is superb.
The story revolves around Russian royalty, Princess Olga Karukhin, and her grandson, Ivan, now British citizens, who have lived in London since fleeing Russia for their lives decades before at the time of the Russian Revolution. They live in a single room, in a rundown part of London. The princess, who is advanced in years, is found dead by a neighbor. Her grandson, a chronic alcoholic, is missing. Nightingale investigates and discovers that Karukhin came from an incredibly wealthy family, and evidence that she had hidden jewels and other riches in her apartment. The most valuable item that she is believed to have had is "the Christmas Egg", a stunning Faberge creation.
This was a 4.5 star read for me. Nightingale is a clever and likeable detective. The writing is superb.
iina's review against another edition
2.0
Read this for a book club, and if I hadn’t I might’ve given up… This is the third book in a series and it shows, the reader is dropped right in the middle of things, and characters don’t really get introductions, which left me rather confused for about 95% of the novel. The case itself wasn’t as thrilling as I’d hoped — the premise on the back cover made it sound quite exciting! — and I got lost in the confusingly laid out plot more than once. A decent crime novel but on the bottom end of the scale for me, sadly.
Also, I was expecting this to be a festive read (due to the name), but this could absolutely have been set any time of year, as it’s not particularly Christmassy.
Also, I was expecting this to be a festive read (due to the name), but this could absolutely have been set any time of year, as it’s not particularly Christmassy.
emlilley's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Imagine writing a book in 1958 that still feels fresh and charming in 2022, and is a fun mystery as well! Engaging mid century mystery with a charming detective, well painted characters and setting in London and the British countryside, and a fascinating backdrop of a Russian princess in exile.